Image guided surgery (IGS) typically uses preoperative patient images to guide a subsequent surgical procedure. The preoperative patient images are displayed on computerized IGS workstation. A surgical instrument is remotely tracked by an optical or other positioning system that is coupled to the IGS workstation. This permits an image of the instrument and/or its trajectory path to be displayed on the preoperative patient images, which, in turn, helps the surgeon plan the entry point and trajectory to a desired target location within the patient. In one example, the light emitting diodes (LEDs) or passive reflectors are attached to the surgical instrument. The optical positioning system includes a camera that can detect light from such locators to determine the position and orientation of the surgical instrument. Among other things, the present inventor has recognized an unmet need for providing surgical instruments that work with a variety of IGS workstation optical positioning systems and components. This increases the convenience and lowers the cost of the IGS procedure.